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IMPORTANT ALERT

In the last 90 days the New Orleans Police Department has documented at least 15 instances of telephone scams involving allegations of kidnap. During these calls a male with a slightly detectable foreign accent claims to have a loved one in custody and is being held for ransom. The perpetrator instructs the victim not to hang up the phone or else the loved one will be harmed or killed.

There are several variations of the scam. In the most frequently used script, the caller states that his brother was involved in an automobile accident with the victims loved one and says that his brother is a very dangerous cartel member and is getting angry. He demands that money be sent, via wire, to Puerto Rico in order to secure the release of the captured loved one.

There have been over 30 such instances of this scam documented in the New Orleans metro area. At least seven have involved members of law enforcement and city government. We are unsure if law enforcement and/or government officials have been specifically targeted or randomly targeted.

We are asking all LEO’S to contact their loved ones: spouses, parents, children, siblings and significant others and make them aware that this is a SCAM. Tell your spouse if he/she gets a call saying that you’ve been kidnapped, hang up immediately and call the police.